Tripura to implement CAA, says CM Manik Saha; state, district level empowered committees formed
Tripura to implement CAA, says CM Manik Saha; state, district level empowered committees formed
In a crucial note, Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Friday announced that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be implemented in the state, even as opposition political parties clamour to protest against the law.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a voluntary blood donation camp at a mosque in the Ramnagar area of Agartala city, close to the Indo-Bangla international border, Saha said that the central guidelines about granting citizenship to people from countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh under the CAA would be implemented in Tripura.
His comments came shortly after an order from the census directorate to all District Magistrates to form committees and designate officials and process applications received from different individuals desiring to get citizenship under the CAA.
The process also includes appointing officials for the State Level Empowered Committee and District Level Committees who would be overseeing the process of receiving, scrutinising and finalising the applications.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, a senior official from the state census directorate said that as per order received from the foreigners division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the state level and district level empowered committees were already formed and online applications are being received from applicants as per order from Director (Citizenship) R D Meena of the foreigner's division under the MHA.
However, the official declined to inform how many applications were received till date and said, "Two designated officials were appointed to oversee the eight district-level empowered committees - four committees each. They are looking into the applications. A website made by the MHA is already in place, where individuals can apply.”
The official also said after the election process is over, the process will be notified.
However, the opposition CPI(M) and Congress parties continue to protest against the CAA, even as the state government has started the process for implementing it.
Alleging that the state's demography, especially the tribal population would undergo communal and ethnic tensions due to the implementation process of the CAA, Tripura opposition leader and CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury on Friday reiterated that his party would continue to oppose the CAA and said a writ petition is already pending in the Supreme Court against the contested law.
"The CAA would negatively impact the northeast region and this region has already had several influx (of illegal immigrants) in the past. This law is being implemented to get political mileage and divert people’s attention from real issues," Chaudhury said.
Former minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Sudip Roy Barman made similar comments and said, "If the CAA is implemented, it might reignite insurgency in Tripura and tribals could be further marginalised.”
He also criticised the CAA and said granting citizenship to foreigners on religious lines would put a strain on the country's financial resources and said it could encourage cross-border fundamentalist forces.
A few tribal political parties like the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) and TIPRA Motha party earlier held a series of protests when the erstwhile Citizenship Amendment Bill was being discussed in 2019. However, five years later, both the parties are now partners of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state government.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, TIPRA Motha founder and royal scion-turned-politician Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said, "We are monitoring the entire situation. The issue is pending at the Supreme Court. And the act itself said 6th schedule areas are exempted from the CAA. So, if tomorrow someone gets citizenship under CAA but later tries to live in the tribal council areas, it will be an issue. We need to have more clarity on the subject.”
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